Manhole Explosion On Prospect Park West Injures One

A manhole explosion on Prospect Park West this morning caused injuries to someone passing by, and according to the FDNY, the fire is still not under control as of this post at 1:45pm.

Neighbors have reported hearing at least two loud booms in the area around Prospect Park West between 4th and 5th Streets. The initial emergency call came in to the FDNY at just after 11:30am on Monday, and a Fire Department spokesperson tells us the victim was taken to Lutheran Hospital with minor injuries.

According to the dog group FIDO, the victim was a man who was walking his black Labrador retriever at the time of the incident, and the dog reportedly ran off into Prospect Park — keep an eye out for the dog, and if you find him contact FIDO at fidolostdog@gmail.com. UPDATE: Many thanks to Sean Casey Animal Rescue for reconnecting the dog, found after wandering into a pharmacy on Ocean Parkway, with the victim’s family.

The Daily News reports a second person was injured — a woman whose face was cut by flying glass while inside her third floor apartment. Yikes.

Vine user ranjit says “windows broken along an entire block.”

DNAinfo reports no buildings have lost power, but that Con Ed may need to cut power at some point to make repairs.

This is the second manhole explosion in our area in the past week — the other occurred on 9th Street near 5th Avenue last Tuesday, but thankfully there were no injuries.

We will continue to update this story as we learn more — if you hear anything, let us know in the comments below, or by emailing us at editor@bklyner.com.